U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a new set of travel restrictions, including a full ban on entry for citizens of 12 countries and heightened restrictions for visitors from an additional seven nations. The policy is set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday.
Countries facing a complete travel ban include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In addition to the bans, travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will face increased screening and limited entry permissions.
“I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,” President Trump stated in a proclamation accompanying the announcement.
Ten of the 19 affected countries are located in Africa. Notably, several of them such as Sierra Leone, Togo, and Equatorial Guinea are not widely recognized as sources of extremist threats.
The updated list of countries follows a January 20 executive order requiring the Departments of State and Homeland Security, along with the Director of National Intelligence, to assess and report on countries exhibiting “hostile attitudes” toward the U.S. or posing potential national security risks.
This move echoes Trump’s controversial 2017 executive order, often labeled the “Muslim ban,” which targeted seven predominantly Muslim nations. That order was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018.
Watch the announcement video below.
0 Comments